Everything but the Popcorn Cookie

Dahlia Bakery

Smoked is the keyword in Dahlia Bakery’s Hudda's Butterscotch Smoked Oat & Sea Salt Cookie. Dahlia does not use the label lightly. It’s not a gimmick. The cookie is dense but still soft enough to give way to a good chewy texture and generously dotted with butterscotch chips and, as the name suggests, it tastes like it sat next to a campfire during a long weekend in the woods. It is an Adult Cookie. A cookie a kid might wince at. A cookie a younger palate might decide, “Tastes funny,” and abandon on the counter after one bite. (Good. Not all cookies are for you, kid.) 

You might have noticed, though, that this butterscotch treat isn’t the cookie on today’s countdown. I fully intended to feature the smoky delight as an option for anyone who finds the average holiday cookie to be “too sweet.” (Amateurs.) But on a recent trip to Dahlia to grab a snack and jog my memory, I was quickly distracted by their seasonal offering. “What’s THAT??” I exclaimed in the middle of the bakery without realizing how loudly I was talking. The Everything but the Popcorn Cookie is loaded with potato chips, pretzels, M&Ms, and toffee, and it is incredible. I mean, of course it is. Sorry to pull a Joey from Friends, but potato chips? Good. Pretzels? Good. M&Ms? Good. And the toffee is the pièce de résistance—it bubbles up and melts into crispy, delicate sugar adornments at the cookie’s edge. It’s those pockets of extra caramelized goodness that elevate this cookie above the rest. Sorry, Smoked Oat, I got a new Christmas crush.

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We're counting down to 2025 by sharing some of our favorite cookies on Slog every day in December! Because life is hard, and sugar helps. Will things get weird? Maybe! There may have been a small fire during the first photo shoot! But hopefully, you'll also discover some new favorite treats to enjoy this season. Track our daily recommendations here! 🍪